Mind Meld
by Ferryman
Summary: When McKay woke up in the infirmary he did not expect to be looking at his own body. Of all the bad things he expected of Kavanaugh - he had never suspected this. Trapped forever in an place with no escape.
1. Chapter 1

Mind Meld: Mckay fought it but eventually he lost and consciousness started to invade his quiet, dark peace

**Mind Meld:**

_Chapter 1:_

Mckay fought it but eventually he lost and consciousness started to invade his quiet, dark peace. He felt the familiar sense of disconnectedness that he felt when coming around from anaesthetic but as he came too he realised he was looking at his own body. Not down his body but down AT his body, from a perspective he never thought, or never should have.

_What the hell am I doing over there? Am I alright?_

He felt this body flinch in shock but there was still the feeling of distance as though it was a reflex, not something that he had consciously done. He tried to move over to his body, tried to look around him and found out that he couldn't move. _Oh God! I'm paralysed…_ the thought was stopped short as he realised his view was changing, his head was moving… and not because of him. He stilled his thoughts, listening to his surroundings and that's when he heard John.

"Are you okay?"

John Sheppard came into view, looking angry and confused.

"What?" a disembodied voice answered. Rodney knew it came from himself and he knew it was not his voice because he would recognise that self-righteous, opinionated, egotistical whine anywhere. _Kavanaugh! What the hell have you done to me! You imbecile, if you've damaged my body so help me I will kill you slowly! Damn it! I know you can hear me you… you... damn peacock! I knew you're strutting ego would get you killed one day, but if I had known for one minute you were going to take me with you so help me I would have had you sent you back to Earth long ago. Damn it, Kavanaugh! Can you hear me god damn it! Answer me or so help me I will make your life hell! You will be lucky to get a job putting lego together in a toy shop, let alone engineering anywhere – in any galaxy!_

"I said, are you okay?" John asked again as his hand indicated vaguely over this body, "You seem distracted and you just…er… flinched." His eyes narrowed slightly.

McKay mentally leant back and crossed his arms. _Well, go on! Tell him! Tell him what you've done. Tell him how you may have damaged his chances of survival by trapping the mind of a genius inside the mind of a monkey!_

"It's probably just shock, I'm fine," Kavanaugh assured him.

_What! Fine!! You call this fine?? Wait, why won't you tell him I'm in here?_ He paused while he tried to think things through and came up with the only conclusion he could. _Look, when I said I would kill you I was angry. Just tell him and when I am back in my own body we won't mention it again… honest… okay? Kavanaugh?_ He realised that Kavanaugh had not acknowledged him since he 'woke up' and he started to wonder if Kavanaugh could hear him. The flinches every time he'd shouted could just be coincidence. _Oh god, what if he can't hear me, what if I'm stuck in here forever_.

"What happened?" Sheppard asked.

"McKay was looking at a piece of ancient technology when I went to see him to discuss my project," Kavanaugh's voice stated. _To waste my time asking why I stopped it you mean, which by the way should have been obvious. It would have blown us to kingdom come because you have trouble with 2+2 using a calculator, let alone the delicate equations required to keep it stable manually_. Kavanaugh's voice continued, with an angry bite to it.

"He started ranting and the A.T. turned on which he didn't even realise as he was still going on about his own genius and how he wished he knew how my mind worked."

'_If there was anything in there apart from tumbleweed and a howling wind whistling across the empty landscape' I believe were my exact words. It was just a guess earlier, who knew?_

"There was a blinding white light and next thing I know I'm waking up in the infirmary and McKay is in a coma."

The view switched briefly to his own body, as Kavanaugh glanced at McKay's body lying on the infirmary bed, and then back to Sheppard. The steady beat, beat of the heart monitor filtered through to McKay. _At least I'm still alive_.

"With Zelenka on leave I don't know who is next in the command structure and I will have to speak to Elizabeth. Do you have any ideas on how to fix this? Do you think touching the piece again would somehow put things back?"

_Yes, I think that just might work. They could put it in my hand and then if Kavanaugh touches it I'm sure it will return my immense consciousness to my way better body. Oh god! Kavanaugh is next in the command structure. How could I not have changed that when I realised just how stupid you were!_

"Actually, I am next in the command structure and no, I don't think that would work." _What would you know imbecile._ "I may have a few ideas but I want to check them out in more detail first."

_Oh God, we're all going to die. _

"I don't want to do anything to endanger Dr McKay any further." _Oh yeah, since when?_ Rodney mentally gave Kavanaugh a very suspicious glare and he noticed Sheppard's eyes startle slightly before resuming the casual air that he had before.

"I'm glad to see you're worried about Rodney. To be honest I didn't think you would be eager for him to return to us given your past arguments." Sheppard's tone was carefully casual but McKay knew that tone. _Ha! Thank god you're smarter than the average grunt! You'll figure it out just please god don't stop looking for me, Sheppard. Please god, don't leave me in here._

"We did clash on a few ideas but that's scientists for you, we are a very emotional bunch. At the end of the day we have our love of science in common and I don't know anyone, apart from me, who loves science as much as McKay. We were slowly finding a way to communicate. Now, if you will excuse me, Colonel? Dr Keller has taken all the tests she can from me and I have been released. I want to get back to the labs and see if I can find a solution to this." _Forgive me if I don't hold my breath but feel free to hold yours. _

"Okay," Sheppard responded. "I need to bring Elizabeth up-to-date and hopefully we will have some answers from Dr. Keller shortly. Let me know if you find anything." Sheppard dismissed him with a distracted nod as he watched McKay's body.

McKay watched as Kavanaugh left the infirmary, only half watching through his eyes as he tried to think on his current predicament and how to get the hell out of Kavanaugh without being able to communicate with anyone and therefore it took him a little longer to realise that they were not heading towards to Labs but towards Kavanaugh's quarters.

_Oh Yeah, that's about right, slacker. Go for a lie down and rest your brain as you've probably overworked it already. Hey, I wonder if this is like Cadman… if he sleeps then I may be able to get control of this body._ He steeled himself, remembering how much mental power it had taken to try and get control of his body when he was fighting with Cadman. He tensed, waiting for Kavanaugh to relinquish control.

Kavanaugh went straight to the bathroom. _Oh God! Please no, don't make me see that. I wonder if I mentally shut my eyes I can block this out. I could be mentally scarred for life after this._ Thankfully, Kavanaugh just went straight to the sink and gripping the sink so tight his knuckles turned white he glared at himself in the mirror. "Do you ever just shut up, McKay!"

The shock of his words stopped McKay's rambling dead_. Wait! You can hear me?_

"Of course I can hear you. Yabbering away, non stop drivel and while we are on the subject my project would not have blown us to kingdom come and I am more than capable of adding 2+2 without the use of a calculator and now," he continued as his face fell into a smug smirk, "I finally get to prove it without you or Zelenka breathing over my shoulder, holding me back. Finally, everyone will be able to see that you are not the only genius around here. Zelenka is not due back for two weeks and I am in charge. A few days of me and they won't even bother trying to figure out how to wake you up."

_You… you can't be serious. You can't just leave me in here. You just can't__._

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Mind Meld:

**Mind Meld:**

_Chapter 2_

"Oh but I can, McKay. I am finally free to run the science division as it should have been from the start with someone competent at the helm."

_What about Atlantis? What if we have an emergency and you can__'__t fix it. Kavanaugh, people__'__s lives are at stake here. I know we__'__ve had our differences but you can__'__t risk them. You don__'__t know the things I do. You won__'__t be able to save her in time. This is crazy Kavanaugh_.

"But don't you see - that's the beauty of it. You are safely contained so you can't run a mock and do any damage but you can tell me what to do and if I think the risk is fair I can carry out the instructions. When the risk is too great I can just ignore you and try another option."

_Oh, like I__'__m going to tell you anything. Do all the work and let you take all the glory? I don__'__t think so, Kavanaugh. So you may as well just come clean to Colonel Sheppard right now._

"You would keep quite when Atlantis is at stake, McKay." His grin grew wider, "I think not."

The worst thing was he was right. McKay knew he wouldn't be able to keep quiet if Atlantis was at stake. Even if it weakened his position he would still have to say something, still have to save Atlantis. His thoughts reeled from the implications that he would spend eternity in here while his body sat in the infirmary. They would give up eventually and stop keeping his body alive. He would be left in here forever.

But no, if wouldn't be forever. _It won__'__t work, Kavanaugh. When me and Cadman shared the same brain it couldn__'__t cope. If we hadn__'__t been able to put Cadman back in her own body when we did, we both would have died. You have to say something eventually or you will die. _He could not help the smug feeling that Kavanaugh would have to say something and soon enough he would be on the outside and able to put his plans for Kavanaugh into action.

"You see, McKay. There you go, making wild assumptions again. The A.T. put you here, not the wraith. This is not an accident but a process and therefore it would most likely have been done in such a way that both host and visitor could continue a combined existence indefinitely."

McKay sagged in defeat. Kavanaugh could be right and they wouldn't know till it was too late. Then his original plan came back to him. Why not, he could just wait until Kavanaugh slept.

"You've been jabbering all the way here, McKay. If you are now thinking that you can take control me while I sleep then I should point out a couple of factors. Firstly, this is not like the wraith accident and therefore you may not be able to take control when I sleep as you do not have access now. Yes, I am aware that it may just be a weaker hold and that when I sleep there is a slim chance that you can gain control which is why I have these… just in case." He said as he pulled a bottle of tablets from his pocket.

"Sleeping tablets, McKay and not just any sleeping tablets. These little babies have mental inhibitors in them. When my brain shuts down so do you and, as the host body, my brain should waken before yours just as it did earlier today. You will not be able to take control so the quicker you come to terms with the new arrangements the better."

_I am going to get out of here, Kavanaugh_. He growled, anger a white heat and his voice like steel, "_and when I do there will be no where you can hide. So help me, Kavanaugh, you will rue this day._

Kavanaugh laughed. "Yes, yes of course, McKay. Now, until that day I think I will go to MY lab and start organising MY staff."

Rodney fell silent, nothing left to say. Sadness and helplessness enveloped him as he floated along, trapped in the mind of Kavanaugh. He ran solution after solution with nothing but failure after failure to show for it.

Before they made it to the lab Rodney heard the radio in Kavanaughs radio. "Emergency, Kavanaugh to the Control Room."

Kavanaugh responded, "I'll be there in 5 minutes." He could feel him puff out his chest as he trotted to the Control Room, the self importance oozing from every nasty pore.

_I wouldn__'__t bother to hurry. It__'__s not as if you__'__re capable of helping when you get there. In fact the best thing you can do is get yourself lost and let one of the other scientists go._ McKay responded.

Kavanaugh growled. McKay would have grinned had he not been in full panic mode. Something was wrong with his city and he wasn't able to do anything. Worse than that, when he figured out what they needed to do he was not sure that Kavanaugh would do it. Today could be the day he dreaded but knew would come. The day he failed, the day he lost Atlantis.

Kavanaugh walked into the control room. "What's the emergency?"

He turned at the Colonel's voice. "We've got a team off world and under fire. The shield seems to have closed automatically and we can't get it to open. Any ideas?"

"I know you are used to McKay, Colonel, but I won't make any wild assumptions without facts. I will give you something after I have looked at the available data."

_Yeah, shame you__'__re safe assumptions won__'__t be anymore correct after you__'__ve looked at the data you overblown imbecile. You don__'__t have the knowledge or the imagination required. You__'__ll always be just a technical repeater, Kavanaugh_. It was one of the biggest insults in McKay's repertoire. Although anyone who had heard it would never realize it was there because it was the one of the few things that had ever reached beyond his numerous walls and cut him so deep and from a piano teacher at that. That was probably why he used it so rarely because if he was honest, he always cut himself a little too when he used it.

Kavanaugh had moved over to the console. McKay watched the available data. God, how he itched to get his hands on the data, to have to move at this slow speed was intolerable. He wanted to get his hands on the keyboard, move faster, knowing that every second could mean a man's life on the other side of that gate.

He got distracted as Sheppard moved closer, but when he glanced at him he notice the Colonel was looking at his hand, not the screen. He saw Kavanaugh follow his gaze down to his hands. _No, no, no. Damn it! How am I supposed to save the day if you can__'__t concentrate for longer than the average four year-old!_ Kavanaugh's vision rested on his own hands, in particular the left hand, as it hovered over console keys.

_Huh._

Kavanaugh's hand was twitching and twitching in a definite McKay twitch. He did not know where he had picked it up but somewhere along the way his thumb and forefinger had picked up the habit of tapping out his thoughts. It often reminded him of a pianist's metronome, setting his pace and giving him a focus.

It must have been the strength of his desire coupled with Kavanaugh being distracted. He tried to speak but nothing happened. They were all staring at his hand. He glanced up at Sheppard, or as much as he could see of him with Kavanaugh staring at his own hand. _Come on, John. Figure it out for god__'__s sake figure it out._

"Picking up some of McKay's habits, Kavanaugh?" Sheppard drawled, with a tight smile. _And yet again,_ i_t seems I have over estimated your intellect_, McKay stated bitterly.

Rodney felt Kavanaugh jump and glance up into Sheppard's face before he managed to steady himself and answer him. "You'll be glad to know, Colonel, that's the only one I have." Then he turned back to the screen and just in time as McKay saw the data at fault.

God how he wanted to make Kavanaugh squirm but there were lives at stake. _It__'__s there, Kavanaugh_. His voice tired, resigned.

Kavanaugh was going backwards and forwards over the same piece of data. _Oh for gods sake. You want a neon sign and a GPS as well? How about idiot cards? Very apt if you ask me. _He sighed heavily at the stupidity._ The safety protocols for the shield have been switched to automatic. When the team came under a fire a projectile must have come though the gate, the automatic systems detected it and initiated the shield. We need to cancel out the safety protocols, bring the team home and then we can do a full fix and find out how the system got switched to automatic._

He heard Kavanaugh relay everything to Sheppard and oh how it burned. He watched him override the safety protocols oh so very slowly. _Where did you learn to type? My god, my niece can type faster than this__…__ hell, I think my cat can type faster than this. Back, back. You missed a five out there __–__ it won__'__t work and you will have to start again. You are aware that people might be dying on the other side of that gate aren__'__t you? No wonder you don__'__t get much work done if this is your work speed. Right, that__'__s it. Now initiate it. What are you waiting for? Fireworks? Speech from the President? Fanfare? _The Shield deactivated and the team fell through. The gate was shut down immediately and the medical team swooped in to tend them as Sheppard flew down the stairs to his men.

_Always has to see their okay for himself_. McKay found himself saying as Kavanaugh watched Sheppard move amongst the soldiers. Then he realized he was making conversation with the enemy and stopped abruptly.

Everyone came up, slapping Kavanaugh's back and saying how well he had done. _Thank you, thank you. Of course, it would have been done faster if this imbecile could actually type and you know, if he wasn__'__t actually in the room._

Kavanaugh got up and walked out of the control room. On his way to the lab he called into a bathroom on the way. After making sure it was empty he turned to the mirror with a huge grin. "Say what you want McKay. Everyone just saw ME fix the problem while you were lying around in the infirmary after making yet another mistake. Don't worry. I don't suspect you'll be lying around there much longer."

_You know, I figure I have been procrastinating. I mean, why should I wait till I get out to plan your death. You know what? I think I__'__m gonna start right now. And I will get out of here Kavanaugh and you will wish you had taken the easy way out. Now, where shall we start? Hmmm, I__'__m thinking Ronon and erm__…_

He watched the smile fall from Kavanaughs face along with all the available blood as it paled. McKay had been expecting a reaction, but nothing quite so expressive, nothing so exquisite. Kavanaugh tried to put the smile back but was finding it impossible. McKay laughed, _Okay then. Ronon it is. Now, with what in the where shall I kill you, Proffessor Plum? _

McKay carried on. He may not have a plan to get out of here yet but if Sheppard had taught him anything it was never give up, to hold on till something turned up… and to be as insolent as possible in the meantime. In the end a paler, shakier Kavanaugh left the bathroom and carried on to the labs.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Mind Meld:

**Mind Meld:**

_Chapter Three__:_

Sheppard went to check on Rodney and see if Keller had any results as yet. He walked into the infirmary and walked over to Rodney's body. He just stood watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, listening to the beat, beat of the heart monitor. He was alive and for now that was going to have to be good enough.

There was something about Kavanaugh that was setting off his spidey senses but he couldn't seem to put his finger on it. He was sure he knew more than he was saying but as much as he was expecting Kavanaugh to be okay with McKay's current situation, he couldn't bring himself to accept that Kavanaugh would just leave McKay in this situation if he knew a way to bring him back.

He kept going through the emergency in the control room. There was something there that kept nagging at him, something he should have seen. He sighed heavily as he realised he was probably looking for shadows, anything to bring McKay back now. He looked up at his face, so peaceful and yet so wrong. McKay never looked right unless he was moving it always put the world on a tilt when he saw McKay still.

He patted McKay's forearm. "Hold on, McKay. We will find a way to get you back." He turned and walked through to Keller's office. He swung his head through the door and finding her with her head buried in her laptop he knocked on the door jamb. "Hey, Doc? Find anything?"

Keller looked up with a tight smile and then pushed away from the laptop at an angle, welcoming him in to see for himself. "I'm afraid I just don't know, Colonel. There is something wrong with the chemistry in the brain but I just can't figure out what it means. I can't try and wake him up using medication without knowing what the cause is in case it has a detrimental effect. I'm running a program to see if there is a match but the only thing I have found so far is an incident that happened last year where he shared the consciousness of a Laura Cadman. The only similarity though is that the chemistry imbalance is in the same area." She looked up at him with a lost expression. "I'm sorry, Colonel. I've got nothing," she leant forward earnestly, "but I'm still looking. It's early days yet. I am sure I will find something." Her gaze automatically drifted to McKay laying in the infirmary bed.

"I'm sure you will, Doc." He tried an encouraging smile and nodded at her. He glanced over his shoulder at McKay. "He's okay though, apart from the not waking up, he's okay, right?"

She sagged into a worn smile and nodded. "He's stable. The head injury is not that bad and I think it's just a coincidence. I am sure the only reason he won't wake up is because of something the A.T. did. Once we figure out how to wake him up I'm sure he'll be fine. The injuries themselves are minor."

Sheppard nodded. "Well, I'd better be going. Let me know if there is any change. I'm going to check on Kavanaugh and see if he has managed to find anything. I'll keep you posted. Let me know if you make any headway."

She nodded in response and he gave a tight smile as he left, glancing at McKay on the way out. He headed down to the labs to see what Kavanaugh had found whilst he went over the things that Keller had found out so far.

_Number ten. I think number ten will be to push you through the Stargate to a wraith infested world. I may even make you a nice little notice to hang around your neck. Something like, 'Come get your skinny ribs here'._

Kavanaugh growled to himself. At least as far as the rest of the scientist's in the lab were concerned. McKay knew better and grinned a little more. He had done his rant and it seemed Kavanaugh was immune so, taking a page out of Sheppard's book, he was trying another approach. He was quite happy with the results.

_Number Eleven. Hmmmm. I'm thinking I have a chat with Hermoid and we beam you to the bottom of the ocean. I wonder which would get you first, drowning or the pressure pushing in on you slowly, crushing the air from your lungs. Hmmmm… I may actually move that one upto number three – I quite like that one. Mind you I wouldn't be able to see your face and I really, really want to see your face. Guess we're sticking with number one then._

McKay felt the uncontrolled shiver go through Kavanauh and smiled a satisfactory smile. That had been pure inspiration. McKay knew that even if he got out of here and had the chance he wouldn't follow through on the threats. Even with the Wraith and the other numerous bad guys he had shot over his time on the SGA team he was not a killer. He had killed in defence of himself and his team and yet regretted every one. He could not kill in cold blood, regardless of what the person had done.

Hell, if he couldn't kill Koyla then he wouldn't be able to kill Kavanaugh. However, Kavanaugh did not know that. He also knew that one or two of the Scientists had started a rumour about missing bodies, which he just hadn't found the time to deny. He smirked.

If Kavanaugh thought he was going to just sit here and be a good little prisoner he was going to be very disappointed. Whilst trying to think of number twelve he was also trying to decide what the most irritating song he knew was. He had decided that the rendition would be all through dinner… repeatedly. There was also the fact that he could hold a note, a fact he intended to thoroughly forget later that day.

As it was he was humming, 'I know a song that will get on your nerves' over and over again for the last hour while he was thinking of the next inventive way to kill Kavanaugh. Truth be told, he was actually starting to really enjoy himself.

_Oh, you'__ve done that wrong. But as it's not a danger to Atlantis I think I can let that one go. Of course it means that even the lab assistants will be laughing at you behind your back for making such a stupid mistake. Still, it's to be expected I suppose. Just out of curiosity, what website did you buy your degree from anyways? ? www. smartmonkies. com?  
_

McKay had no idea if he had typed something wrong but he knew a scientist's weak points. He nearly giggled when he saw Kavanaugh go back and check his work.

_Maybe you should get a calculator_

"Will you just. Shut. Up!" Kavanaugh shouted. The three lab assistants sitting in the deathly quiet lab nearly fell of their stools at the outbreak and looked at Kavanaugh with alarm. Kavanaugh cleared his throat. "Damn emails, why can't these imbeciles deal with there own projects."

_Oh nice cover. There's no way they think you're loosing it. No, really. That was really, really convincing. This is how it starts Kavanaugh. A couple of days and they will be whispering behind your back. Taking bets on when and how you're going to crack up. Won't be long now, do you like buckles? Of course, you could always tell them it's the voice of God in your head – I'm sure they would understand. Still, you'll always have me._

Kavanaugh was breathing heavily through his nose, desperately trying to bring his temper under control.

"Kavanaugh"

"What?!" Kavanaugh shouted as he spun round to see who had called his name.

Colonel Sheppard walked across the lab with a raised eyebrow. "Everything okay, Kavanaugh?"

McKay could feel him physically wiling himself to relax. "Of course, Colonel, I'm just a little frustrated. I'm afraid that I haven't made any headway yet."

_You know you really should be used to disappointment in your life by now._

The Colonel nodded as he approached his desk. "I know how you feel." He perched against the desk.

"You look tired, Colonel. I'm sure we will find a solution soon. I still have more ideas to work through." Kavanaugh said softly and McKay could hear the smarmy tone of his voice wheedling away.

_First my genius, then my job and now you want my friends too? I appreciate that I am of course better than you in __absolutely everything and how you would want to be just like me. After all I'm the first one to say I should be worshipped but I think this falls into obsession, Kavanaugh. Quite frankly, I don't think it's healthy._

Sheppard was looking down at Kavanaugh's hands. The view followed his gaze as Kavanaugh glanced down and saw his hands gripping the sides of the stool, his knuckles stood out stark white. _Do you think he's on to you? _McKay whispered. The hands quickly released and his gaze flew back up to Sheppard's face. "I'm sorry, Colonel. I'm finding the lack of results a little frustrating. Do you have any news from Doctor Keller?"

Sheppard sighed. "No. She's running a search in the database to see if she can come up with anything."

Kavanaugh nodded. "Well, if you'll excuse me, Colonel. I still have more simulations I want to run. I will let you know if I find anything."

"I… er… I just wanted to say. Well done. You know for earlier in the control room. You did good."

_Oh, isn't that nice. Shame it was all me and absolutely nothing to do with you isn't it. Still maybe you can get him to post a recommendation on www. smartmonkies. com __._

"Thank you, Colonel, just doing my job. I'll keep Atlantis safe until Mckay wakes up."

_Oh please. Pass me a bag. I think I'm going to be sick._

"Well, yes. I'll be going. Let me know if you find anything." Sheppard nodded and pushed himself away from the desk and then left the lab.

Kavanaugh leapt up from his stool and charged into McKay's office, slamming the door behind him. "If you don't shut up…"

_You'll what...? If I can make a suggestion I __reckon a gun to the head, that'll teach me._

"I just might. If you don't shut up I might just blow my brains out to get to you."

_Well, a shot to the face can only be an improvement although I wouldn't try to hit your brains – you would have to be an excellent marksman to hit something that small._

Kavanaugh's scream could be heard across three labs.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_Tried to improve over the weekend but when I came into work I seem to have developed a bug on my flash drive. I've put in what changes I remember and this will have to do. Hope you enjoy._

**Mind Meld:**

_Chapter __Four:_

Sheppard left the labs and started walking towards the mess hall to meet with Ronon. He had found himself looking at Kavanaugh's hands and yeah it was pretty weird how tightly they were gripping the seat but it was still that niggling feeling that he should have seen something. Something should have clicked. He walked into the Mess and got his dinner, joining Ronon who was already making his way through the high pile of food on his tray.

Ronon glanced up at him. "How's McKay."

"Same"

"You'll fix it., Sheppard."

Sheppard stared at him, and then sighed. "Yeah. Nothing yet but we'll find a way."

Ronon nodded and returned to his dinner.

Sheppard took a deep breath and stared at his dinner.

"You should eat."

Sheppard looked up at Ronon's voice and found him looking at him intently. Sheppard gave a tight smile and nodded. "Yeah, I should."

He dug his fork into his dinner and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly. He realised he was watching Ronon's hand. There was something about hands today. He let his mind wander, trying to put all the facts together. He went back over his conversation with Keller, a chemical imbalance that matched 'the omen' incident as McKay referred to it. A fly landed on Ronon's thumb and he saw him jerk it to scare the fly away.

John took another forkful and lifted it too his mouth.

An epiphany occurred.

John dropped his fork onto his plate and looked at Ronon in a shocked daze. He couldn't believe it. He replayed the day again, except this time everything fell into place. Everything that struck him as strange today suddenly had its place.

"Whats up?" Ronon growled.

"We need to go, we need to go now." Sheppard said, anger starting to bleed into his voice as certainty set in.

"I'm eating," Ronon stated.

"McKay needs us now, Ronon. Come back later and start again." Sheppard said as he yanked the fork out of Ronon's hand and threw it on his plate. "Come on!"

Ronon sighed and stood up to follow Sheppard out who was ordering a detail to detain Kavanaugh and take him to the cells via his radio. They were making their way to the holding cells.

"Isn't McKay in the infirmary?" asked Ronon, nodding in the other direction.

"His body is. McKay is inside Kavanaugh's head. Like when he and Cadman were sharing the same brain."

"How come Kavanaugh didn't know he was there? Shouldn't you have ordered him taken to the infirmary?"

"No," John bit out. "He's known from the start but he's not saying anything. I have an idea but I don't know for sure if it will work."

They made their way to the holding cells as Sheppard explained the situation to Ronon and what he wanted him to do.

They arrived, two guards out side. "Is Kavanaugh in there yet?" Sheppard queried, his body tense as anger stretched his back bone taut. The soldiers nodded. "I want everyone out."

"Sir?" the soldier queried and although John didn't want to explain himself a part of him was pleased and ultimately proud that his shoulders were strong enough, good enough to question such an order. "I need him to be alone. We won't do anything to him but I don't want him to know that."

The soldier nodded and commanded his detail to leave the vicinity. Ronon and Sheppard strolled into the holding cell, eyes hard, movement's predatory.

McKay stopped singing the Smurf song. _Oh, I am so going to enjoy this. Hit him Ronon, hit him hard. Beat him to a pulp,"_

"Colonel? What's going on? Why have the soldiers left?" Kavanaugh all but squealed. He straightened himself up tall, "You can't interrogate me without a prison detail. I know my rights."

"I know," Sheppard stated. The voice was flat, dangerous. "I know where McKay is."

_Ho, ho, ho.__ You are so gonna get it, Kavanaugh. _McKay started doing 'the old one two' punches mentally. _Hit him hard and don't stop, Ronon._

The force field disappeared and Ronon slinked slowly into the cell as he pulled an evil looking knife from behind his back and advanced as it glinted in the light. His mouth set in a feral grin. _Well, I guess this is as close to method number one as we're gonna get. _Kavanaugh flinched and started backing away. McKay grinned, that is until a thought occurred to him.

_Hey! I'm gonna get it too. That's not fair. Damn it, Nooooo__! _

McKay mentally tried to retract from the oncoming violence, tried to curl up into a ball. Which is why when Kavanaugh fainted, leaving no one in the driver seat per say, the body crumpled to the floor – in the foetal position.

"McKay?" Sheppard's voice was quiet and hesitant.

"McKay?" He repeated a little louder.

McKay realised a little later that nothing had happened. He looked up at Ronon. "You damn Neanderthal! If you hurt him, you're gonna hurt me! My god, I am surrounded by idiots. I wouldn't be surprised if this was his idea." He said as he flung an arm out in Sheppard's direction who was raising an eyebrow as a smirk started to spread across his face. His gaze flew to his arm. "Hey, his arm just did what I did." He rotated the arm, brought it in slowly and then back out again.

"Damn, McKay, but it's good to hear you." Sheppard said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Wait you can hear me?" McKay stated, shocked. "Oh, thank god," he sighed heavily. Then he backtracked over what he had said. He threw a nervous look at Ronon. "You know Neanderthal is meant as a term of endearment, right?"

Ronon gave one of his half smiles, which could easily be mistaken for an evil grin. He reached down and grasped McKay's forearm and pulled him to his feet, using his other hand to steady him. Once he was steady he gave him a brief hug and stepped back.

"Well, good. Erm… what happened?" McKay asked tentatively.

"Well, you were working on an A.T. in the lab when Kavanaugh…"

"Yes, yes… Free bus ride for that trip, thankyou," Rodney interrupted while pointing at Kavanaugh's head. "I meant how did you give me control of his body?"

"Oh, that." Sheppard grinned, an evil smirk. "I remembered that Ronon tends to make Kavanaugh faint and I figured if it was like Cadman then maybe you would get control of his body if I put him out of commission." Sheppard's smirk morphed into a wide grin.

"What?! But he could wake up at any time." McKay's thumb twitched against his forefinger. He continued in a rush. Pointing a finger at Sheppard, "Erm, right… you were right. Get the piece of A.T. and we both touch it, simultaneously. It should put me back where I belong and then I'm gonna kick his arse." He stopped suddenly and turned a worried look to Sheppard. "How long do you think we've got?"

Sheppard shrugged, "Could be anytime now." He grinned widely, "I could make a guess but I know how much you hate arbitrary numbers."

"Well, what are we doing standing around here talking then." McKay started to move forward and his leg crumpled under him. Sheppard rushed in, stopping as Ronon stepped in to catch Rodney and bring him upright.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Mind Meld:**

_Chapter Five:_

"Okay, it seems I don't have a very strong control over the body." He thrust a pointed finger at Sheppard, "You – go to the science labs and get the A.T. It's a small pink and white triangle to the left of my laptop." He brought the hand back to slap against Ronon's chest. "You – get me to the infirmary. No wait! Sheppard, you'd better not touch it with that overactive gene of yours. You take me to the infirmary. Ronon, you go get the A.T."

Sheppard moved forward to take McKay. Ronon released his hold and then tore out of the holding cells like the devil himself was after him.

The prison detail came running in, "Sir?" No doubt in response to Ronon tearing past them.

Sheppard looked up at the soldier. "It's okay Barrett. Kavanaugh fainted."

McKay rolled Kavanaughs eyes and felt cheated, it just wasn't the same. "Can we please remember we are on a time limit here," he growled.

Sheppard smiled. "McKay was inside, now he's in control… well sort of. I'm taking him to the infirmary."

The soldier blinked and looked from one to the other. "Yes Sir. Do you want any assistance?"

"No, I'll be able to manage. Move the detail to the infirmary. I may need you to apprehend Kavanaugh when we get Mckay out."

"Yes Sir." The soldier relayed the order to his men and made out for the infirmary, reaching it before them. It was only their third year in Pegasus and already the bizarre was accepted readily as normal. By the time Sheppard and McKay had reached the infirmary and explained the situation to Keller, Ronon was running in behind them. "This it?" he asked as he held out the small triangle.

"Yes, place it in my hand," McKay said as he indicated to his body's hand, "and then take over from Sheppard. It's better if he is no where near it." Ronon put the triangle in McKay's hand and stepped around him to take over from Sheppard. Sheppard moved round to stand behind Doctor Keller who stood poised and waiting.

"Well, if this doesn't work – thanks for everything." Rodney said as he moved Kavanaugh's hand to touch the triangle.

"Wait! You said this would work." Sheppard said, already moving towards him.

Kavanagh turned to look at him even as his hand continued to reach towards the A.T. McKay's bittersweet expression was clear on his face, even down to the half smile. "I have made a mistake once or twice, Colonel. Besides, anything is better than this. So Long." His half smile grew into a grin, "wish me luck."

As his hand connected a bright white light spread out sharp and blinding. John turned away from the light whispering, "Good luck," as he curled in on himself. He straightened as the light retracted back in on its self. Keller rushed forward to check on McKay. Ronon caught Kavanaugh's body as it slumped, weightless, and moved it to the next bed.

"Ronon, you'd best take the A.T. away from McKay. We don't want to repeat this any time soon."

Ronon nodded as he moved to take the A.T. out of McKay's hand and put it in his pocket. Sheppard stepped forward and gripped the end of the bed, trying to be patient but in the end could not wait more than a few minutes. "Doc?"

Keller turned to him and shrugged. "He's still stable. I can do a scan but I'm hoping he will wake up before I get the results." As if on cue McKay mumbled and twitched, slowly blinking in the light. Dr Keller smiled down at him, "Welcome back, Rodney." Then she moved round to Kavanaugh in the next bed, who had Ronon looming over him.

Sheppard moved round to the side of McKay, grinning. "Hey."

"Hey," McKay replied, slowly lifting himself up to a sitting position.

Sheppard grinned. "So, you admit that you've made mistakes, McKay."

"Well, I still think actually acknowledging you exist remains my biggest," McKay mumbled.

Sheppard grinned further and put a hand on his forearm. "Good to have you back, McKay."

McKay looked over at Kavanaugh and then looked back at Sheppard. "Am I right in thinking the Deadalus is due this afternoon?"

Sheppard frowned. "Yeah, it's due in about half an hour actually. Why?"

McKay grinned, a shark like smile. "Can you patch me through to Hermoid. I want to ask a favour?"

Kavanaugh came too with a snap and found himself strapped to the bed with Ronon and Sheppard on either side of McKay at the foot of his bed. They were all looking at him with smiles that did nothing to ease his tension.

"I did what I did for the good of Atlantis and I stand by my decision," Kavanaugh said haughtily.

McKay snorted. "Yes, well. We will just add that to your long list of errors. Now, you'll remember the list of ways to kill your enemy from earlier today, Kavanaugh? Well, I figured that as you nearly experienced number one earlier, and as I'm too impatient to build the necessary equipment for number two, I have decided to jump straight to number three. You know lucky number and all. Now, I've had a word with Hermoid, who was surprisingly eager to help."

McKay tapped his radio. "Death number three, if you please, Hermoid." McKay looked back at Kavanaugh with hard eyes and an evil smirk. "Be sure and say hello to the fishes for me, Kavanaugh."

Kavanaugh had a moment to register remember that Number Eleven had been bumped up the list to Number three just as the Asgard beaming technology enveloped him panic suffused his being as he reached out to McKay, screaming, "Nooooooo!"

Sheppard managed to control himself and tapped his radio. "You get him."

The confused voice of Colonel Caldwell came over the radio. "Yeah, we got him. He's very pale, hyperventilating and shaking like a leaf but at least he has stopped screaming. Doctor says he should be fine. Detail is escorting him to the cells now."

Sheppard struggled to control himself before he responded. "Thank you, Colonel Caldwell," he replied formally and disconnected.

They laughed loudly as Sheppard turned to McKay. "You're one scary genius, McKay," he said as he clapped him on the back and steered him out of infirmary.

All three of them were grinning from ear to ear as they left.

THE END.


End file.
